Jake McCarthy homers twice as the Rockies get past the Cardinals, 8-6

ST. LOUIS (AP) — Jake McCarthy homered twice in a four-hit night, Cole Carrigg and TJ Rumfield each had two hits and the Colorado Rockies beat the St. Louis Cardinals 8-6 on Saturday night.

McCarthy gave Colorado the lead on the first pitch of the game with his 420-foot drive to right-center field off Matthew Liberatore (5-9), and the Rockies went on to snap a four-game skid.

McCarthy hit his second of the game and 13th of the season in the sixth. He is hitting .305 and has seven hits in his last two games.

Liberatore went five innings and struck out three while giving up five runs on nine hits.

José Fermín had a two-run double to put the Cardinals ahead, but Carrigg hit a two-run double of his own in the third that gave the Rockies the lead for good. Hunter Goodman drove in one more before the end of the inning.

Rumfield got another across in the fifth, and McCarthy belted a two-run shot to center in the sixth.

The Cardinals got within two after Jordan Walker's eighth-inning homer, and brought the tying run to the plate in the ninth, but Jordan Romano struck out César Prieto swinging for his 10th save.

Rockies starter Kyle Freeland tossed 4 1/3 innings. He struck out three and walked three, and allowed five hits and three runs (one earned).

Five relievers combined to hold the Cardinals to two hits and three runs. Parker Mushinski (1-0) worked 1 1/3 innings for the win.

RHP Michael Lorenzen (3-10, 6.94 ERA) starts for Colorado opposite Cardinals RHP Michael McGreevy (4-9, 3.59) in the series finale on Sunday.

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St. Louis Cardinals' Iván Herrera (48) successfully slides to home plate during the bottom of the fifth inning of a baseball against the Colorado Rockies game Saturday, Aug. 8, 2026, in St. Louis. (AP Photo/Lexie Knight)

Colorado Rockies' Jake McCarthy, center, is congratulated after scoring a home run during the top of the sixth inning of a baseball game against the St. Louis Cardinals, Saturday, Aug. 8, 2026, in St. Louis. (AP Photo/Lexie Knight)

St. Louis Cardinals' Masyn Winn (0) follows through after hitting during the bottom of the fourth inning of a baseball game against the Colorado Rockies Saturday, Aug. 8, 2026, in St. Louis. (AP Photo/Lexie Knight)

Colorado Rockies' Kyle Freeland (21) ptches during the first inning of a baseball game against the St. Louis Cardinals Saturday, Aug. 8, 2026, in St. Louis. (AP Photo/Lexie Knight)

Colorado Rockies' Jake McCarthy (31) celebrates after hitting a home run during the first inning of a baseball game against the St. Louis Cardinals, Saturday, Aug. 8, 2026, in St. Louis. (AP Photo/Lexie Knight)

PHILADELPHIA (AP) — George Springer was a late scratch from Toronto’s starting lineup against the Philadelphia Phillies on Saturday due to left shoulder tightness.

Springer was scheduled to be the designated hitter and bat fourth. He is batting .234 with 12 home runs and 36 RBIs in 86 games.

Manager John Schneider said Springer has been “dealing with it the last couple of days.” But Schneider did not seem concerned that this would be a lingering injury.

Springer did enter the game as a pinch runner in the eighth inning.

AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb

Toronto Blue Jays' George Springer hits a triple during the seventh inning of a baseball game against the St. Louis Cardinals in Toronto, Sunday, Aug. 2, 2026. (Sammy Kogan/The Canadian Press via AP)